Finger-board tip



Dec. 23, 1941. J, E. NlCHOLs 42,266,894

Filed Dec, 12, 1958 ZS/ .lg/f

' Joe E'. Nic/mls 30] vEN'ToR Patented Dec. 23, 1941 UNITED` STATES PATENT orties p Y 2,266,894 FINGER-BOARD TIP lJoe E. Nichols, Coalinga, Calif. Application December 12, 193s, isere1 Ne. 245,331 claimsf (o1. 2li-6o) v r This invention relates to a pipe racking attachment for use in an oil well drilling derrick and particularly to a fingerboardhaving a selectively movable tip which is used to control the removal of lengths of drill pipe which are standing in the derrick. L 7

Heretofore it has been the `practice to provide' a ngerboard which is a substantially horizontal member extending toward the middle of the derrick from one of its sides and against which the lengths of drill pipe, casing and the link, which are to be introduced into the well bore are racked. As each pipe is removed it is slid outwardly over the tip of the fingerboard and picked up by the elevators of the hoisting equipment. Various hand-operated arrangements of pivoted dogs and the like have been propos-ed, all of which require that the derrickman remove one hand from the length of pipe which he is handling and manipulate the fingerboard tip. This constitutes a safety hazard as the lengths of drill pipe weigh good drilling practice may require.

It is an object of this invention to provide a tip or latch for the end of this fingerboard so that the operator standing in the derrick may release a section of pipe without having to use his hands and without danger to himself. .y

Another object is to provide a tip for a fingerboard which may be automatic in its action `so that the drill pipe being handled will serve to` actuate it to its extended or operative position.

Another object is to provide a simple and strong form of fingerboard tip that contains a minimum of moving parts.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will be more fully apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the device together with an alternative form which is more simple in construction.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the automatic embodiment .of the fingerboard tip in position to retain a length of drill pipe.

Figure 2 is a plan View of the ngerboard tip illustrated in Figure 1 but in its inoperative position.

Figure 3 is a side elevation view of the fingerboard tip of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view on line IV-IV of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view on the line V-V of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view on line VI-VI of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a plan view of asimpler embodiment of this invention showing the fingerboard tip in its open or extended position to retain a length ofdrill pipe. i

Figure 8 is a side elevation view of the lingerboard tip of Figure 7. l l

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic planview of a iingerboard tip embodying this invention inplace in a conventional drilling derrick.v

Referring to Figure 9, reference numeral I0 indicates the corner legs of a conventional well drilling derrick joined together by horizontal girts II. A platform represented by I2 lrests' across girts II at a suitable height to receivea number of lengths or stands of drill pipe I3. The drill pipe is stacked or racked in one corner of the derrick frame behind a fingerboard I4 which is provided with a tip generally designated I5. Traveling block I6 is adapted to support elevators (not shown) which pick up single lengths of drill pipe I3 and lift them into position to be coupled with or uncoupled from drill pipe already in place in the well bore,

In order to control the lengths of drill "pipey I3 which may be or 120 feet in length, finger--l board tip I5 is provided with means which may be selectively extended horizontally ,as shown in Figure 9 to hold a single length of drill pipe I3 in position to be picked up by the traveling block and elevators, and torelease that length of. drill pipe when the elevators are lifted. l

'Ihis invention broadly comprehends an improved tipfor fingerboard I5 which is actuated by the force of gravity or by contact of the drill pipe against a lever, either of which serves to extend horizontally a hook or latch element which will retain the drill pipe and prevent it sliding past the end of the tip.

Referring to Figures 1 to 6 which illustrate the preferred embodiment of this invention, reference numeral Il designates the outer end of fingerboard I4 to which is secured a hollow body I8 which may be roughly rectangular in cross section. A shaft I9 extends longitudinally of body i8 and is journalled in any suitable manner to rotate therein. The outer end of shaft I9 is bent substantially at right angles to form a hook or latch member 20 which may be extended horizontally from body I8 to prevent a stand of pipe from slipping past-the end of the fingerboard structure. The body I8 is preferablyv provided with an abutment 2| which will prevent hook 20 from moving below the horizontalposition shown-in Figures 1, 7 and 8.

A counterweight 22 is secured to shaft I9 in such a manner that it will cause hook 20 to stand vertically. A second shaft..23 is positioned longitudinally in body I8 and provides a support for lever 24 whichis hingedat 25 to rotate about shaft 23. One or more cams 26 are provided along one side of lever 24 to contact counterweight 22 or a similar shaped element on shaft I9.

Referring to Figure 5, it will be noted that counterweight 22 is of such size that it will maintain hook 20 verticallyand Will cooperate with cams 26'on lever. 2'4 to extend that lever horizontally outwardly through slot 2'I in the side of body I5.

Referring to Figures 1 and 4, it will be note that as a drill pipe I3 is moved outwardly along:

body I8 it will contact lever 24 and rotate it inwardly causing cams 26 to engage the counterweight or similar shaped member' on: shaft; IBto;

rotate that shaft and turn hook 2E! to ahorizontal position. By these means drill pipe' I3" will automaticallyrextendhook: 20 horizontally to re'- strain the drill pipe from slipping offfthe'tip of fingerboard' I4. Y

Figures 3 and 6 illustrate af preferredi arrangement of` shafts III-*and 23, hinges 254v and lever 24and1 show hooki20fin'its1vertical position. The alternative embodiment of this invention i'sl illustrated in-Figures. 7 and 8'v and is of some- Whatlsimpler'form thanthat just described. In'- thisarrangement hollow body I8 is provided'with longitudinal shaft I9, the latter having the hook` or latch-20' adapted to rotate through approximately 90'L1 andito'rest upon abutment24.- when inits horizontal or extended. position. In place of the automaticv actuatingA apparatus -mentioned aboveshaft IES- is-provided with a toothed wheel ordisc 28 which extends upwardly out of body lfasthrough a slotv29 to be exposed so that it may be.v used to turn shaft I9 and movehook 254 to an= upright position. Av second abutment 2&3. on body I8 preventshookfrom passing beyond` avertical position. This arrangement is such that when the-force usedto turn wheel` 28 is. removed?, hook. 2'0 will drop. downwardlyy toa horizontal position as shown in Figures '7, 8 and 9.

In operating the embodiment of Figures 7 and 8- the derrickman. will move a single length or stand. of pipe I3 outwardly along fingerboard.v I4 and body I8 until it is held by hook 20- The device will retain pipe I3 inv this position indefinitely. When the operator desires to release the stand or pipe he places his foot against wheel- 28 and rotates' it so that hook. I8 is turned vertically'upward. After this length of pipe has been moved awa-y from tip I5 by the traveling block and associated equipment I6 the operator removes his foot andhook 20 will drop to the horizontal position shown. This arrangement permits the derrickman to use both hands to handle pipe I3 and does not require the embodiment of hooks or auxiliary devices to manipulate the fingerboard tip.

The operation of the automatically actuated meansf'or rotating shaft I9 and hook 2U is similar except that the pipe I3 itselfv upon contacting lever 24 and swinging it downwardly, acts to rotate hook 29 to a horizontal position to retain pipe I3 against the fingerboard tip I5. In this case the operator may release pipe IS from hook 2B' by moving the pipe out of contact with body I8, whereupon counterweight 212' wiil swing hook 28 upwardly or the upward' motion of the pipe as it is lifted by traveling block IS will swing hook 20 to an approximately vertical.l position and will release the pipe from that member.

The essential features of this; invention appear to reside in the provision of a hook for a fingerboard tip, said hook being secured to a generally longitudinally mounted shaft, the latter adapted to be rotated by gravity so that the hook may selectively be moved to a vertical or horizontal position. In one embodiment the force of gravity is controlled by the contact of the drill pipe against'a lever which rotates the shaft, in the alternative embodiment the shaft is rotated to its vertical position by the foot of the operator. Although the specific constructions embodying thisA invention have been described and illustrated, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to those specific devices and all such;modications and changes as come within the scope. of the appended claims are embraced thereby.

I claimz;

1: A'n attachment for a derrick fingerboard comprising, a' body; a shaft. journalled in said body: forpartial: rotation therein, means for restraining' said' shaft 'against longitudinal motion in said body, a hook on said shaft extending outwardly from saidbody transversely to the axis of'said shaft, means for restricting the travel of saidzhook between substantially a vertical and a horizontal position, means including said hook forming` an eccentric weight on said' shaft to maintainsaid hook in one of its extreme positions under the action of gravity, and actuating meansprojectingfrom said body for turning said shaft and said eccentric weight to` move said hook, from` one extreme position to theother;

2.. An attachment `for a der-rick finger-board according tor claim 1v in which said actuating means.. comprise a. secondl shaft in said body, alever. extending, outwardly from said secondnamedshaft, said lever` adapted to be contacted by a standof drill. pipezbeside said, fingerboard bodyv to. rotate` said second-named shaft, and, means connecting. said rstand second. shafts, to rotatesaid first shaft and said hook.

3;An attachment for a derrick fingerboard according to claim.v 1 in which. said. actuating; means comprise a secondshaft in said body, a.

cam on said second shaft engaging said first.

shaft, and a lever on said second shaft extending outwardly from said body to be engaged by a stand of drill pipe, sov constructed and arranged thata pressure, of said drill pipe against said leverwill rotate both of said shafts and said hook to one of the extreme positions of said hook.

4. An attachment for a derrick fingerboard according to claim 1- in which said actuating means cooperatetwith a member on said shaft spaced from said hool` to rotate said shaft and said' hook.

5. An attachment for a derrick; fingerboard comprising a body, a shaft journalled in said body for partial rotation therein, means for ref straining said' shaft against longitudinal motion in said body, a 'hook on said shaft extending outwardly from said body transversely to the axis of said' shaft, means for restricting the travel of said hook between substantially a vertical and a horizontal position, said hook forming an eccentric weight on said shaft toA maintain said hook in a substantially horizontalposition under the action of gravity anda member on said shaft spaced from said hook and accessible from the outside of said body to rotate said shaft and said hook to a substantially vertical posi-tion.

JOE E. NICHOLS. 

